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New Releases January 23—January 29 and Readers Choice Contest

It is hard to believe that we are already in the last full week of January. This week brings us twenty-eight more new releases. I wonder what February holds…

What do you want to read this week? As always, leave a comment telling me the book you’d most like to win, and maybe random.org will make your wishes come true. Your choice of print or digital unless otherwise stated. International? Of course! As long as Book Depository delivers to your country, please enter. If you’d prefer the first book in a series listed here, that’s okay, too.

The Case of the Fickle Mermaid (A Brothers Grimm Mystery #3), by P.J. Brackston, (January 25, Pegasus)
Gretel, yes, that Gretel, is now all grown up and working as a private investigator in 18th century Bavaria. Her professional interest is piqued when she begins to hear whispers of mysterious goings-on off the coast of Schleswig-Holstein: sailors are disappearing, and there are rumors of mermaids and sea creatures and all manner of slippery, sea-based happenings. Ordinarily, Gretel’s interest in sea-life does not extend beyond that which is edible and already on the plate before her. Funds are low, and the captain of the ship Arabella makes a tempting offer of good pay and a free cruise in return for her detective services. With a splendid new wig packed, Hans as her bodyguard on the journey north, and the promise of two weeks of fine dining and erudite company whilst sailing around the picturesque Friesian islands, what could possibly go wrong?

7 Sykos, by Marsheila Rockwell and Jeff Mariotte, (January 26, Harper Voyager Impulse)
Phoenix is one of the most populated cities in America, but not for long. With a mysterious sickness spreading through the streets, two things are becoming very clear: there’s no cure, and it doesn’t necessarily kill you. Instead, the so-called “Infecteds” have become a living plague, killing and eating everyone they come into contact with. Chaos is spreading, and no one is safe. No one, that is, except for a group of psychos. Somehow unaffected by the disease, and with promises of clemency for their monstrous pasts, a group of seven is sent downtown to hopefully find the cause of the disease, and therefore a cure. But when the asylum is the size of a city, it no longer matters who is running things. Not when everyone is running for their lives. (ebook only)

All the Birds in the Sky, by Charlie Jane Anders, (January 26, Tor)
Childhood friends Patricia Delfine and Laurence Armstead didn’t expect to see each other again, after parting ways under mysterious circumstances during high school. The development of magical powers and the invention of a two-second time machine could hardly fail to alarm one’s peers and families. Now they’re both adults, living in San Francisco, and the planet is falling apart around them. Laurence is an engineering genius who’s working with a group that aims to avert catastrophic breakdown through technological intervention into the changing global climate. Patricia is a graduate of Eltisley Maze, the hidden academy for the magically gifted, and works with a small band of other magicians to secretly repair the world’s every-growing ailments. Little do they realize that something bigger than either of them is determined to bring them together, to either save the world, or plunge it into a new dark ages.

Broken Hero, by Jonathan Wood, (January 26, Titan)
How’s a secret agent meant to catch a break? If it’s not a demi-god going through puberty, it’s a renegade Nazi clockwork army going senile. Or a death cult in Nepal. Or a battery-chewing wizard’s relationship problems. Arthur Wallace, agent of MI37, Britain’s agency for dealing with the supernatural, the extraterrestrial, and the generally odd, has to pull everything together, and he has to do it before a magical bomb tears reality apart.

City of Blades (The Divine Cities #2), by Robert Jackson Bennett, (January 26, Broadway Books)
A generation ago, the city of Voortyashtan was the stronghold of the god of war and death, the birthplace of fearsome supernatural sentinels who killed and subjugated millions. Now, the city’s god is dead. The city itself lies in ruins. And to its new military occupiers, the once-powerful capital is a wasteland of sectarian violence and bloody uprisings. So it makes perfect sense that General Turyin Mulaghesh, foul-mouthed hero of the battle of Bulikov, rumored war criminal, ally of an embattled Prime Minister, has been exiled there to count down the days until she can draw her pension and be forgotten. At least, it makes the perfect cover story. The truth is that the general has been pressed into service one last time, dispatched to investigate a discovery with the potential to change the world, or destroy it. The trouble is that this old soldier isn’t sure she’s still got what it takes to be the hero.

Coconut Cowboy (Serge Storms #19), by Tim Dorsey, (January 26, William Morrow)
Serge A. Storms is hitting the road. Inspired by the classic biker flick Easy Rider, the irrepressible trivia buff and his drug-addled travel buddy, Coleman, head out on a motorcycle tour down the length of the Sunshine State. But going from small town to small town, they discover that some have lost much of their former charm, including one particular hamlet of skeezy rural politicos hell-bent on keeping prying eyes out of their ineptly corrupt style of local government. Traveling across the state, Serge and Coleman engage in some high-life hijinks, complete with the state’s trademark crop of jerks, lethal science experiments, drug kingpins, double-crosses, unearthed bodies, barbecue and groovy tunes. And when a few innocent newcomers stumble into the mix, the stakes are raised to new backwoods heights.

Daughter of Blood (Wall of Night #3), by Helen Lowe, (January 26, Harper Voyager)
Malian of Night and Kalan, her trusted ally, are returning to the Wall of Night, but already it may be too late. The Wall is dangerously weakened, the Nine Houses of the Derai fractured by rivalry and hate. And now, the Darkswarm is rising. Among Grayharbor backstreets, an orphan boy falls foul of dark forces. On the Wall, a Daughter of Blood must be married off to the Earl of Night, a pawn in the web of her family’s ambition. On the Field of Blood, Kalan fights for a place in the bride’s honor guard, while Malian dodges deadly pursuers in a hunt against time for the fabled Shield of Heaven. But the Darkswarm is gaining strength, and time is running out, for Malian, for Kalan, and for all of Haarth. (U.S. Release)

First Kill: A Tor.Com Original, by Jennifer Fallon, ((January 26, Tor)
How do you kill with honor? When is murder not a murder? Assassin Kiam Miar will find out when his first assignment goes awry and he is faced with an ethical choice, as if assassins could have ethics. And if he makes the wrong choice, he could not only lose his life but throw a good chunk of his world into chaos. (ebook only)

Front Lines (Front Lines #1), by Michael Grant, (January 26, Katherine Tegen Books)
World War II, 1942. A court decision makes women subject to the draft and eligible for service. The unproven American army is going up against the greatest fighting force ever assembled, the armed forces of Nazi Germany. Three girls sign up to fight. Rio Richlin, Frangie Marr, and Rainy Schulterman are average girls, girls with dreams and aspirations, at the start of their lives, at the start of their loves. Each has her own reasons for volunteering: Rio fights to honor her sister; Frangie needs money for her family; Rainy wants to kill Germans. For the first time they leave behind their homes and families, to go to war. These three daring young women will play their parts in the war to defeat evil and save the human race. As the fate of the world hangs in the balance, they will discover the roles that define them on the front lines. They will fight the greatest war the world has ever known.

Graveyard (The Mutant Files #3), by William C. Dietz, (January 26, Ace)
2069, Los Angeles. Decades after a bioterrorist attack decimated the population and left many of the survivors horribly mutated, the “norms” have forced mutants into dangerous areas known as red zones. The tensions between the two groups are threatening to boil over. LAPD detective Cassandra Lee is known for her single-mindedness, and right now, she’s got only one goal, track down the Bonebreaker, the man who murdered her father. Her quest for justice is derailed when LA comes under attack. The Aztec Empire, a Central American group determined to take back the U.S. territories that their Spanish ancestors once controlled, has led a mutant army into California. Lee must put all her energy into keeping her city safe while unearthing the political secrets of LA’s shady mayor. With the Bonebreaker hunting her down, losing focus even for a second could mean death.

Lustlocked (Sin du Jour Affair #2), by Matt Wallace, January 26, Tor.com) (novella)
Love is in the air at Sin du Jour. The Goblin King (yes, that one) and his Queen are celebrating the marriage of their son to his human bride. Naturally the celebrations will be legendary. But when desire and magic mix, the results can be unpredictable. Our heroes are going to need more than passion for the job to survive the catering event of the decade.

Mercury Striking (The Scorpius Syndrome #1), by Rebecca Zanetti, (January 26, Zebra)
With nothing but rumors to lead her, Lynn Harmony has trekked across a nightmare landscape to find one man, a mysterious, damaged legend who protects the weak and leads the strong. He’s more than muscle and firepower, and in post-plague L.A., he’s her only hope. As the one woman who could cure the disease, Lynn is the single most volatile, and vulnerable, creature in this new and ruthless world. But face to face with Jax Mercury. Danger has never looked quite so delicious.

Never Let Me: Never Let Me Sleep, Never Let Me Leave, Never Let Me Die (Melissa Allen Trilogy #1-3), by Jennifer Brozek, (January 26, Permuted Platinum) (Omnibus)
Melissa Allen, a troubled teen under house arrest, is the only person left alive in South Dakota. After discovering the mysterious deaths of her guardians and hearing of the massacre on the news, she realizes that there are monsters out there. They are pretending to be human, and they’ve have begun a door-to-door search, for her. Melissa is unable to leave the quarantine zone and has no help except for Homeland Security agent David Hood on the phone. Before the government takes drastic action, she must figure out what killed everyone and stop it from happening again. Or did Melissa herself, in a psychotic fit, murder her guardians–and the rest of the apocalypse is only happening inside her mind? This special edition features the first three books the Melissa Allen Series as well as a previously unpublished short story.

Night Study (Soulfinders #2), by Maria V. Snyder, (January 26, Mira)
Ever since being kidnapped from the Illiais Jungle as a child, Yelena Zaltana’s life has been fraught with peril. The recent loss of her Soulfinding abilities has endangered her more than ever before. As she desperately searches for a way to reclaim her magic, her enemies are closing in, and neither Ixia nor Sitia is safe for her anymore. Especially since the growing discord between the two countries and the possibility of a war threatens everything Yelena holds dear. Valek is determined to protect Yelena, but he’s quickly running out of options. The Commander suspects that his loyalties are divided, and he’s been keeping secrets from Valek, secrets that put him, Yelena and all their friends in danger. As they uncover the various layers of the Commander’s mysterious plans, they realize it’s far more sinister than they could have ever imagined.

Rise of the Wolf (Mark of the Thief #2), by Jennifer A. Nielsen, (January 26, Scholastic Press)
Nic may have escaped enslavement in the mines outside of Rome, but his troubles are far from over. The Praetor War, the battle to destroy Rome from within, is in full force, and Nic is caught in the crossfire. The secretive Praetors are determined to unlock a powerful amulet. The Praetors believe Nic holds the key to finding this amulet, and they will stop at nothing to steal it, even if that means harming the people Nic holds most dear. When the Praetors capture Nic’s mother, Nic knows he must do anything to save her. He challenges the Praetors to a chariot race. If he wins, they will release his mother. If he loses, he must hand over a magic that will certainly destroy Rome and end his own life. Can Nic once again harness his magic and gather the strength to defeat his enemies? Or will he lose his mother and bear witness to Rome’s destruction?

Roadside Magic (Gallow and Ragged #2), by Lilith Saintcrow, (January 26, Orbit)
The Seelie and unSeelie Courts are both in plague-ravaged tatters. The Wild Hunt roams unchecked, taking who and what it will, and the walls between the human world and the world of the sidhe are thinning rapidly. Gallow is the only hope of human and sidhe both. But all Jeremy wants to do is find Robin Ragged, and survive. Unfortunately, everyone who meets him has other plans. Including the Ragged, who is fleeing for her life, and the King of Unwinter, whose poisoned blade has cut deep into Jeremy’s flesh.

Sage’s Eyes, by V.C. Andrews, (January 26, Pocket Books)
Sixteen-year-old Sage is a lonely child. Her adoptive parents watch her obsessively, as if studying her for warning signs of, something. And maybe they’re right to, even she can’t make sense of the strange things she sees and hears. She possesses knowledge that other teenagers don’t, that her parents and teachers, no adult, could possibly have. So when Sage finally makes a friend who understands her alarming gift, he becomes her confidant, a precarious link to the truth about who she really is. For Sage and the alluring new boy at school share many things in common. Perhaps, they’ll learn, far too many things.

Shallow Graves, by Kali Wallace, (January 26, Katherine Tegen Books)
When seventeen-year-old Breezy Lin wakes up in a shallow grave one year after her death, she doesn’t remember who killed her or why. All she knows is that she’s somehow conscious, and not only that, she’s able to sense who around her is hiding a murderous past. In life, Breezy was always drawn to the elegance of the universe and the mystery of the stars. Now she must set out to find answers and discover what is to become of her in the gritty, dangerous world to which she now belongs, where killers hide in plain sight and a sinister cult is hunting for strange creatures like her. What she finds is at once empowering, redemptive, and dangerous.

Spider Game (GhostWalkers #12), by Christine Feehan, (January 26, Jove)
The Cajun dive in the middle of the godforsaken swamps wasn’t exactly Trap Dawkins’ idea of fun. But the GhostWalker wasn’t there for a good time. He was looking for her. Cayenne. It’s where she found her victims. Poor suckers. Then again, who wouldn’t want to leave a place like this with a woman like her? It’s not Cayenne’s fault. Locked up, experimented on and never knowing kindness, she was bred this way, with a heart of pure venom. Trap understands her. He survived his own dark past and he shares her desire for getting even. But now Trap’s greatest danger is Cayenne herself. Because what’s inside her is hard to control, especially when it’s aroused by a lover as reckless as Trap.

Staked (The Iron Druid Chronicles #8), by Kevin Hearne, (January 26, Del Rey)
When a Druid has lived for two thousand years like Atticus, he’s bound to run afoul of a few vampires. His former friend and legal counsel turned out to be a bloodsucking backstabber. Now the toothy troublemakers, led by power-mad pain-in-the-neck Theophilus, have become a huge problem. Atticus wouldn’t mind a little backup. His allies have problems of their own. Ornery archdruid Owen Kennedy is having a wee bit of troll trouble: When you stiff a troll, it’s not water under the bridge. Granuaile is desperate to free herself of the Norse god Loki’s mark and elude his powers of divination, a quest that will bring her face-to-face with several Slavic nightmares. As Atticus globetrots to stop his nemesis Theophilus, the journey leads to Rome. What better place to end an immortal than the Eternal City? But poetic justice won’t come without a price: In order to defeat Theophilus, Atticus may have to lose an old friend.

The Bands of Mourning (Mistborn #6), by Brandon Sanderson, (January 26, Tor)
The Bands of Mourning are the mythical metalminds owned by the Lord Ruler, said to grant anyone who wears them the powers that the Lord Ruler had at his command. Hardly anyone thinks they really exist. A kandra researcher has returned to Elendel with images that seem to depict the Bands, as well as writings in a language that no one can read. Waxillium Ladrian is recruited to travel south to the city of New Seran to investigate. Along the way he discovers hints that point to the true goals of his uncle Edwarn and the shadowy organization known as The Set.

The Brimstone Deception (SPI Files #3), by Lisa Shearin, (January 26, Ace)
The agents of Supernatural Protection & Investigations (SPI) know that fighting evil is a full-time job, especially when a new designer drug hits the streets. It’s called Brimstone. After the first few hits, you’ll see every supernatural beast sharing the sidewalk, train, or office with you. After that, you’ll start seeing the really scary stuff. I’m Makenna Fraser, seer for the SPI. The collateral damage caused by Brimstone is something I’d like to unsee: dead drug dealers missing their hearts, and souls. Because your local pusher doesn’t stand a chance against the new cartel muscling its way into New York. Since the drug can only be produced with magic and molten brimstone fresh from Hell, that means a rift to the underworld is open somewhere in the city. And when, not if, the cartel loses control of it, well, It’s going to be Hell on earth.

The Dark Days Club (Lady Helen #1), by Alison Goodman, (January 26, Viking BYR)
London, 1812. Eighteen-year-old Lady Helen Wrexhall is on the eve of her debut presentation at the royal court of George III. When one of her family’s maids disappears, she is drawn into the shadows of Regency London. There, she meets Lord Carlston, one of the few able to stop the perpetrators: a cabal of demons that has infiltrated all levels of society. Carlston is not a man she should be anywhere near, especially with the taint of scandal that surrounds him. He offers her help and the possibility of discovering the truth about the mysterious deaths of her parents. Soon the two of them are investigating a terrifying conspiracy that threatens to plunge the newly Enlightened world back into darkness. Can Helen trust a man whose own life is built on lies? Does she have the strength to face the dangers of this hidden world and her family’s legacy?

The Dragon’s Return (The Zodiac Legacy #2), by Stan Lee and Stuart Moore, (January 26, Disney Press)
The dangerous dragon power only grows stronger within Jasmine, and Steven struggles to hold their ragtag team together. But as alliances become strained, the line between the “good guys” and the “bad guys” becomes blurrier and blurrier. And it all culminates in a major cliffhanger that readers won’t see coming.

The Siren, by Kiera Cass, (January 26, Harper Teen)
Years ago, Kahlen was rescued from drowning by the Ocean. To repay her debt, she has served as a Siren ever since, using her voice to lure countless strangers to their deaths. Though a single word from Kahlen can kill, she can’t resist spending her days on land, watching ordinary people and longing for the day when she will be able to speak and laugh and live freely among them again. Kahlen is resigned to finishing her sentence in solitude, until she meets Akinli. Handsome, caring, and kind, Akinli is everything Kahlen ever dreamed of. Falling in love with a human breaks the Ocean’s rules. But for the first time in a lifetime of following the rules, Kahlen is determined to follow her heart.

The Maiden Thief: A Tor.Com Original, by Melissa Marr, (January 27, Tor)
A dark fantasy novelette about a teenager whose town is plagued by the annual disappearances of girls and young women. Her father blames her when one of her sisters is one of the taken.
(ebook only)

Driven (Otherworld Stories #13.6), by Kelley Armstrong, (January 28, Subterranean) (Novella)
Cains are known for being big, brutish and not-too-bright. The mutt clan embodies all the supernatural world’s worst stereotypes about werewolves. But not even the Cains deserve to be hunted down and skinned like animals. When young Davis Cain comes to the Pack for help, Alpha Elena Michaels can’t refuse him. It isn’t about morality or justice. It’s about not letting anyone think they can do this to werewolves and get away with it. But Elena is also dealing with the Pack’s homegrown monster, Malcolm Danvers, onetime enforcer, full-time psycho. Malcolm is now under Elena’s control, as part of the most difficult decision she’s had to make as leader. But if she has to let Malcolm in, she’s going to make full use of him, and the best person to catch monsters is one who knows exactly how they think.

The small print: This contest is international to any place Book Depository ships. Contests end at midnight CDT U.S. on Saturday, and winners will be announced on Sunday’s blog. It’s the responsibility of the winner to contact me with their mailing info.

Driven (Otherworld Stories #13.6), by Kelley Armstrong, would be my choice today. I had pre-ordered Otherworld Secrets (Otherworld Stories #4), by Kelley Armstrong,
Would like to thank Stephen Jones for all the help he has been to Suzanne. THANKS!